Does financial independence follow a political trend?

I have never been a member of a political party and I probably never will be. Too much useless blabbering, too much wasted time, too much smoke and mirrors. Nevertheless, I have almost always felt rather politically oriented to the right. I believe that freedom is a key value in our society and that to obtain it we must behave responsibly.

Freedom and responsibility are two rather right-wing values. Everyone must take charge of their own life, assume their commitments and not rely on the work of others. It is only by showing oneself responsible that one can claim to be autonomous, independent and therefore free.

In many ways, financial independence is very close to this point of view. We work to put money aside, then we invest our savings to eventually become a rentier. We do not wait for the goodwill of the State to benefit from our retirement. Above all, we assume our approach alone, in a totally autonomous and responsible manner.

Yet financial independence also has a revolutionary side. I would even say that it is part of its deepest nature. Let us not forget that its sole purpose is to get us out of the Rat Race, that is, to no longer be subject to the dark sides of capitalist society, such as the race for consumption and the exploitation of workers.

Financial independence is therefore paradoxically schizophrenic. It is both right and left, both pro-business and pro-employee. It is a form of slow, silent revolution that is not done by the masses, but by each person, in their own way.

To overcome political divisions, we can say that financial independence is a search for freedom, for which we must fight individually and responsibly, without counting on state aid. It is also a form of freedom different from that reserved for the elite or the sons of good families, since it is the fruit of one's own efforts.